Riveted brake assembly

Abstract

A riveted brake assembly comprising a friction pad attached to a metal support plate with rivets. Each rivet comprises a rivet head disposed in a counter bored friction pad hole, a shoulder portion disposed in and filling a small diameter portion of the friction pad hole, a shank portion of lesser diameter than the shoulder portion disposed in the support plate hole, and a tubular tip portion extending beyond said support plate and adapted to be rolled over to secure the friction pad to the support plate. In its preferred form, the rivet is an eyelet of substantially uniform wall thickness, wherein the length and diameter of the rivet shoulder are substantially the same as the length and diameter of the small diameter portion of the friction pad hole.

I claim: 
     
       1. A riveted brake assembly comprising: a friction pad defining a plurality of pad holes therethrough each comprising a large diameter hole and a small diameter hole,   a support plate disposed adjacent said friction pad and defining a plurality of plate holes therethrough,   said pad holes and said plate holes being substantially aligned in pairs, and   a plurality of rivets disposed in said holes and securing said friction pad to said support plate, each said rivet comprising a rivet head disposed in said large diameter pad hole, integrally formed with a cylindrical shoulder portion disposed in tight engagement with zero to negative clearance said small diameter pad hole, integrally formed with a cylindrical shank portion only slightly less diameter than said shoulder portion disposed in said plate hole, integrally formed with a tubular tip portion extending beyond said support plate and adapted to be curled over to secure said friction pad to said support plate, wherein said rivet head portion, shoulder portion, shank portion, and tip portion are defined by a hollow member of substantially uniform wall thickness.   
     
     
       2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said shoulder portion is of substantially the same diameter and longitudinal dimension as the diameter and depth respectively of said small diameter pad hole. 
     
     
       3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said small diameter pad hole is substantially the same diameter as said plate hole, and wherein said rivet shank portion is expanded upon clinching to contact a major portion of said plate hole. 
     
     
       4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein Said support plate is metal, wherein said friction pad is a molded member of heat resistant material, and wherein said rivet is of ferrous material, 
     
     
       5. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of said shank portion is on the order of 93 percent to 97 percent of the diameter of said shoulder portion. 
     
     
       6. A riveted brake assembly, comprising: a friction pad defining a plurality of pad holes therethrough each comprising a large diameter hole and a small diameter hole,   a support plate disposed adjacent said friction pad and defining a plurality of plate holes therethrough,   said small diameter pad holes being substantially the same diameter as said plate hole and substantially aligned therewith,   a plurality of eyelet rivets comprising hollow ferrous tubular members each having a wall of substantially uniform thickness disposed in said holes and securing said friction pad to said support plate, each said eyelet rivet comprising a rivet head defined by a flanged end of said wall disposed in said large diameter pad hole, integrally formed with a hollow cylindrical shoulder portion disposed in tight engagement with zero to negative clearance said small diameter pad hole and substantially of the same diameter and longitudinal dimension as the diameter and depth respectively of said small diameter pad pole, integrally formed with a cylindrical shank portion having a diameter on the order of 95 percent of the diameter of said shoulder portion disposed in and adapted to be expanded by a clinching operation substantially into contact with the walls of said plate hole along a major portion thereof, integrally formed with a tubular tip portion extending beyond said support plate and adapted to be curled over to secure said friction pad to said support plate.